Searching for the best pre workout supplements for women is not a simple task. Why? Because many of the pre-workout supplements that are allegedly made for women are not what they seem. Read our buying guide for 2023. We have reviewed, rated and tested dozens of the top female pre-workouts and listed them og order of best to worst.
Women and men are very different. I’m not just talking about the obvious physical differences either.
We women don’t need as many calories per day as men do and we have to live with all manner of hormonal issues that men are spared.
Especially around the time of our periods and at the “change of life”. What’s good for a man may not be good for us.
Additionally, we tend to be more sensitive to caffeine. It can disrupt our hormonal balance and make life miserable.
That’s not to say we necessarily need to avoid caffeine altogether. We don’t. It’s generally just stupidly high doses that present problems.
Stupidly high doses like you find in so many pre-workout supplements.
Even the ones that are marketed with the promise they are the best pre-workouts for women.
Content Table
Best Pre-Workouts for Women
Powher Pre Workout – Top Rated
A true woman’s pre workout. It is made by Ultimate Life, a company that specializes in producing supplements especially for the female body.
It is a perfectly well balanced formula that allows women to maximize their workouts and not be over reliant on stimulants.
4 Gauge Pre Workout
4 Gauge is equally well suited to men and women. There are not specific ingredients that would make this product a dedicated women’s pre workout.
4 Gauge is arguably the best pre workout available if you are after that satisfying muscle pump.
Black Wolf Trail
A very strong pre workout with a large dose of caffeine. If you do not tolerate caffeine to well then Black Wolf may not be for you.
If however you thrive on stimulant based supplements this will keep your workout intense until the last.
Performance Lab Sport
One of the cheapest pre-workouts on the market. It would be fair to say that Performance Labs don’t market as aggressively as perhaps they should.
This shouldn’t detract from what is very a good workout product.
Transparent Labs PreSeries Lean
Transparent Labs PreSeries Lean is a unisex product and is the only product in our ‘Best women’s preworkout supplement’ list that comes in a zip pouch.
It is definitely a top 5 product although i would struggle to recommend this over the excellent Powher and 4 Gauge.
Why Finding the Best Pre-Workouts for Women Is a “Tricky” Business
Do you know why so many of these so-called female friendly pre-workouts contain so much caffeine? It’s because most of them are really made for men.
That sounds bad, I know, but its true. A lot of manufacturers are selling the same formulation in two different bottles.
One bottle with a label on that says it’s for men and another with a label that says it’s for women. More often than not the label on the female version is likely to be pink.
If you are fooled into buying one of these products the chances are you won’t see it in its true colors until it you are hit with an attack of jitters or a caffeine crash. Don’t be fooled.
Yes, I know, not being fooled is easier said than done. I want to help, so I’m going to explain some of the things the best pre-workouts for women should have.
Additionally, I’m going to point out some of the things they do not need and should not have.
What to Look for in Women’s Pre Workout Supplement
Here are some key things women should look for when choosing a pre-workout supplement:
- Energy boosters – Caffeine, green tea extract, yerba mate and other stimulants provide energy, focus and fat burning. Look for natural sources without excess caffeine.
- Performance enhancers – Creatine monohydrate, beta-alanine, beetroot extract and amino acids like citrulline help boost strength, endurance and workout capacity.
- Metabolism support – Ingredients like cayenne pepper, chromium, conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) can help enhance fat burning.
- Hydration and electrolytes -Sodium, potassium, magnesium and coconut water powder prevent dehydration, muscle cramps.
- Limit unnecessary fillers – Avoid pre-workouts overloaded with artificial flavors, sweeteners, coloring agents.
- Formula tailored for women – Lower stimulant doses, focus on fat burning, addition of collagen or iron to meet female needs.
- Positive reviews – Check user reviews and satisfaction rate among women. Beware of products with many complaints.
- Transparent label – Look for supplements that disclose all ingredients clearly with dosages. Avoid proprietary blends.
- Good value – Price should align with quality ingredients. Compare similar products. Consider pills vs powder.
- Company reputation – Purchase from reputable manufacturers with high quality standards.
The ideal pre-workout will provide energy, mental focus, muscle power and endurance to help women maximize their gym performance and fat burning potential.
What a Good Pre-Workout for Women Should Do
One of the most important things any pre-workout supplement needs to do is boost energy levels.
The name says it all. You use a pre-workout before your workout. It’s supposed to help you enjoy a better workout and attain superior benefits. That’s what you’re paying for when you buy it.
It’s hard to find the motivation to workout. Especially when you’ve already put in a full day at work or have been busy with other tasks at home or elsewhere.
We’ve all been there. You promise yourself you are going to do your best and have a productive workout, but fatigue holds you back.
Maybe you even manage to get all fired up and raring go and get off to a good start. Then, after a few sets where you feel as energized as the Duracell Bunny, it all changes. It’s as if someone has reached up your ass and pulled the batteries out.
When this happens, you end up just going through the motions. All the intensity is gone. Furthermore, working out like this is not much fun. You may be putting in the time, but you’re not getting anything out of it.
A good pre-workout supplement needs to clear the fog from your mind and help you to focus. If your mind is not on the job, you won’t be able to train with intensity.
It’s also beneficial if supplements of this type can boost the mood and protect against stress and anxiety. Stress can trigger the release of cortisol and other hormones that encourage weight gain and other undesirable issues.
What a Pre-Workout for Women Should Not Do
If a pre-workout supplement is genuinely made for women it should not provide a caffeine overload. Nor should it go pumping your body full of other stimulants instead.
The best pre-workouts for women contain ingredients that are gentle on the body yet powerful enough to help you to train like an Amazon.
If your pre-workout makes you feel wired and jittery, it’s probably a supplement for guys. It may be wearing a convincing drag, but don’t let all that pink fool you. The same goes if it has you bouncing off the walls one minute and floored by a caffeine crash the next. A good women’s pre-workout will not do these things.
Caffeine: How Much Is Too Much (For Women)?
The thing to know with caffeine is, some people cannot handle it at all. Even a small amount may make them feel jittery and ill. However, women (and men) who have this problem are few and far between.
Presuming there are no tolerance issues, many women should be able to handle a dose of 100 mg caffeine in their pre-workout without problem. A dose of 200 mg might be stretching it a bit but could be doable.
However, does of 300 mg or more are far too high. Apart from mucking with the hormones in an unacceptable way, such high doses increase the chances of urinary incontinence in women. [SOURCE]
It goes without saying, if your pre-workout contains caffeine, you’ll need to be careful about consuming caffeine from other sources.
Features to Look for In Supplement for Women
There are a number of things you need to look for when choosing a pre-workout supplement.
The best ones will:
- Provide Energy
- Improve Mental focus
- Provide Vasodilation
- Reduce Lactic Acid Build-Up
- Protect against stress
- Improve Fat Burning
- Help Keep You Hydrated
A Look at Some Good Pre-Workout Ingredients (For Women)
Although this list of pre-workout ingredients is not by any means definitive, they are all good.
I’m going to start with the most controversial one first. Whether or not you choose a pre-workout with caffeine will largely be a matter of personal choice.
Some people prefer to avoid stimulants entirely, others have intolerances that prohibit their use. However, like most things, caffeine is fine in moderation. Just don’t go silly.
Many people reach for paracetamol when they have a headache or tooth pain and it can work well. However, exceeding the maximum dose can damage your liver and kill you. Sensible use is required.
Caffeine is no different, a sensible dose is okay. A stupidly high dose is not. Though, thankfully, even a high dose of caffeine isn’t going to hammer your liver. In fact, some research shows modest doses of caffeine may actually be good for the liver [SOURCE]
1. Caffeine
The fact that caffeine is a good energy giver is no secret. That’s why a lot of people start their day with a cup of coffee. It’s also why it’s used in so many brands of energy drink.
Students who are up late cramming often use caffeine tablets to stave off tiredness, improve mental focus, and help them concentrate. Lots of other people do too.
Want to know a lesser-known fact about caffeine? It boosts the metabolism and helps you to burn fat. Burning extra fat during your workout is no bad thing. It helps improve muscle definition and move towards a firmer, harder physique. [SOURCE]
2. Guarana
Guarana is a tropical berry extract that provides caffeine. It differs from other sources of caffeine because it delivers the stimulant at a slow and steady rate.
The fact that guarana holds back and delivers caffeine slowly lessens the likelihood of side effects. It’s giving you less over a longer period of time. This slow-release nature also allows guarana to provide all the benefits and extend them throughout your workout.
3. EnXtra
EnXtra is a branded botanical ingredient created by ENovate Biolife. It can be used to boost the benefits of caffeine or as a caffeine replacement.
Like caffeine, EnXtra is great for providing extra energy and making you feel more mentally alert. The difference is, it does so without any risk of jitters or crash. In some ways it’s similar to guarana because the benefits hang around for a long time. Up to five hours in fact.
4. B-Vitamins
B Vitamins are excellent energy providers. They help the body extract energy from food and put it to work. So if you Vitamin B on a list of ingredients for a pre-workout supplement, take it as a good sign.
In fact, due to their abilities in this regard, B Vitamins are included in most brands of energy drink. They all offer valuable additional benefits as well. For instance, Vitamin B5 (pantothenic acid) plays an important role in red blood cell production. [SOURCE]
The red blood cells carry oxygen to your muscles. When you are working out your muscles need more oxygen than normal. When they don’t have enough, lactic acid builds up and forces you to stop and take a rest.
5. Beetroot Extract
Not only is beetroot extract a good ingredient to have in a pre-workout for women, it’s one of the best. Why? Because it’s an exceptionally good source of nitrate.
The body uses nitrate to create nitric oxide (NO). If you want a good natural NO booster you can’t beat beetroot, it’s as simple as that.
NO boosters open up the blood vessels (vasodilation). This improves the circulation and allows the blood to carry extra oxygen and nutrients to the muscles.
By boosting NO in the way that it does, beetroot delays lactic acid build-up and allows to workout harder and longer. [SOURCE]
6. Coconut Water
Coconut water is very good for keeping your body hydrated. When you are training you sweat a lot and you don’t just lose water. You lose vitamins and minerals with all that sweat.
That’s not good because certain minerals including potassium and magnesium, act as electrolytes within the body. This is undesirable because they help you make the most of the water you have.
Coconut water is excellent for hydrating the body because it provides the electrolytes you need and keeps you refreshed. Many athletes prefer coconut water to energy drinks.
The dried form used in supplements works as well because it provides all the electrolytes. The best pre-workouts are mixed with water anyway so they are excellent for keeping the body hydrated.
7. Taurine
Taurine is an amino acid that’s added to most energy drinks. Apart from providing invigoration, it also has other abilities that make it an ingredient all the best pre-workouts for women should have.
It increases physical strength, protects against muscle damage while training and accelerates post-workout recovery.
On top of these abilities, taurine also appears to offer protection from stress, anxiety, and depression.
8. L-Citrulline Malate
An amino acid that’s respected for its power to boost NO and enhance performance and endurance while training.
During one clinical trial, cyclists who were given l-citrulline malate were able to cycle much faster than the placebo group. Additionally, they also felt less muscle fatigue afterwards.
Best Pre Workout for Women – Summary
Although the ingredients listed in this article are some of the best ingredients for pre-workouts, it is not intended to be definitive. Consider it a good starting point, not a bible.
When you are evaluating pre-workouts that are allegedly for women, it’s best to look at the features they offer first.
Will they provide the energy you need, improve your focus, and help keep you in the right state of mind? Will they keep you hydrated and slow lactic acid build-up so you can workout longer?
If a pre-workout can do these things that’s good. However, can it do them without filling you full of stimulants or unnatural ingredients? Is it safe and free from side effects?
More importantly, is it really a supplement for men hiding behind a deceptive label and a lot of marketing lies?
If everything checks out okay, take a look at the ingredients. Are they really suitable for use in pre-workout supplements intended for women? If so, take that as a point in its favour.
This concludes the best pre workout supplements for women – I hope you find this information useful.